Mongolian Beef is easy to make in just 30 minutes, crispy, sweet and garlicky with flavors you love from your favorite Chinese restaurant.
When it comes to favorite Chinese takeout, Mongolian Beef is at the top of the list. The delicious sauce of this popular Beef Dish can be used to make Ground Mongolian Beef and Mongolian Beef Burritos too!
Mongolian Beef is very flavorful and takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish including all the slicing of the meat! It also uses basic pantry ingredients, so you don’t need to worry about running to the store today for oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. Everything in this recipe is available in every grocery store, so it makes the perfect weeknight dinner idea!
It will blow you away how much flavor you can get in less than half an hour and without any marinating or tons of ingredients. Thin cut steak is quick-fried with a cornstarch coating to give it the signature crispy edges that makes this dish so amazing. Some aromatics are sauteed in the beef fat and then sauce is added to soak up the savory, beefy flavor. Finally the beef gets coated in the amazing sauce and it’s finished with some crisp fresh onions.
This authentic stir fried Mongolian Steak recipe is popular with adults and kids alike for a number of reasons. One, people love anything that tastes like Chinese takeout. Two, the sweet flavor of the dark brown sugar mixed with the salty soy sauce and the strong ginger and garlic is incredibly addicting. Three, you get to enjoy it over a mountain of Steamed Rice, which soaks up all the savory sauce and will take you to your happy place.
What is Mongolian Beef?
Mongolian Beef is a Taiwanese dish that originated where Mongolian BBQ cuisine was popular. In American-Chinese restaurants, it consists of thinly sliced red meat, usually flank steak, that is wok seared with green onions in a savory, sticky sweet sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. It is usually not spicy, and it can be paired with other vegetables and served over white rice.
Why should you make Mongolian Beef at home?
There are many benefits to making copycat versions of your favorite take out dishes at home. The obvious one is to stretch your dollar. You can typically serve an entire family at home for the cost of one or two restaurant entrees. You can tailor the seasonings and ingredients for dietary and taste preferences. Your homemade recipe will typically be much healthier than the takeout version, and the best part is you don’t have to sacrifice any of the flavor!
How to Make Mongolian Beef
- Steak: Cut the flank steak into ¼ inch thick pieces, slicing against the grain. Place the meat and cornstarch in a large sealed plastic bag and coat the meat completely.
- Fry: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Sear the coated steak pieces in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan or your meat won’t get crispy. Transfer the seared steak to a plate.
- Sauce: In the same pan, cook the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar and let the mixture come to a boil.
- Finish: Stir the steak back into the sauce and allow the sauce to thicken. If your sauce isn’t thickening, add a cornstarch slurry and let the mixture simmer for a minute. Add green onions to the beef mixture and stir. Serve over rice and a side of steamed veggies
Classic Chinese Takeout Sides
FAQs for Mongolian Beef
Flank steak is the common cut for Mongolian Beef recipes. You can use any quick cooking beef cut such as skirt steak, top round, or tri-tip steak.
Mongolian Beef sauce contains soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, water and cornstarch to thicken. The sauce ingredients are simple and you probably have most of it in your pantry right now.
This Mongolian Beef recipe will have crispy seared edges and tender beef on the inside due to cutting the flank against the grain and quick cooking it. You want to make sure not to overcrowd the pan when you are frying or it will create steam and you won’t get crispy beef.
You want to slice the flank into ¼ inch strips against the grain. If you feel uncomfortable with cutting the steak thinly enough and have an hour or so notice, place the steak in the freezer for one hour. This will freeze it just enough that slicing it will be as easy as slicing a vegetable. The meat will firm up enough that you can slice it even thinner if you’d like.
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Key Ingredients
- Steak: Flank steak works well for this recipe because it cooks quickly while staying juicy and flavorful. Plus it’s a pretty inexpensive red meat. You can also use skirt steak, hangar steak, or other thin cut of steak for the same amazing flavors in this recipe.
- Brown Sugar: The addition of molasses to the dark brown sugar adds to the depth of flavor in this dish. You can use light brown sugar if that is what you have on hand, and you’ll still have a tasty meal. However, the slightly bitter molasses flavor does make a noticeable difference in the sauce.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a lot of aromatic flavor to Chinese cuisine, and complements the sweetness of the Mongolian beef sauce.
- Ginger: Freshly grated ginger gives a slight kick to the recipe to balance the sweetness. If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can substitute ½ teaspoon ginger powder, and add it with the soy sauce.
- Soy Sauce: Always use low sodium soy sauce in Asian dishes, as it allows you to control the amount of salt. You can always add a little more to your taste.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch acts as a thickener when the sauce comes together at the end of this recipe. By coating the beef in it, the cornstarch will cook with the meat and add a crispy coating as well.
Can you make Mongolian Beef ahead of time?
While you can technically make Mongolian Beef ahead of time, it is definitely better when you make it fresh. This dish is known for the signature crispy beef and you will lose that tasty crispy goodness when the dish is reheated. However, one way to make the steak easier to cut is to cut it while it’s really cold, so you can pop the beef in the freezer an hour ahead of starting the dish.
Variations
- Spicy: Make the sauce spicy by adding some red chili flakes, some fresh Thai chiles, or chili garlic sauce. You can also serve it with some Chinese hot mustard or Horseradish Sauce for a spicy creamy blend.
- Meat: Instead of beef, thinly sliced pork, chicken, or even baked tofu would all taste amazing with this savory sweet sauce. Keep in mind that chicken and pork need to be cooked all the way through instead of just being seared like beef. You could also use ground beef or other ground meat.
- Veggies: For a quick and easy one-pan beef dinner idea, you can toss in some popular stir fry veggies like pea pods, shredded carrots, broccoli, and bok choy. Cook the veggies until crisp tender, then toss in at the end with green onions.
More Classic Asian Beef Dishes
How to Store
- Serve: For the best flavor and texture, serve this dish right away while the edges of the beef are still crispy and the onions are still slightly crunchy. It can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Store: Let any leftover Mongolian Beef cool down and then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It’s best to reheat it on the stove in a skillet.
- Freeze: Freeze Mongolian Beef up to 3 months in a sealed container. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger , minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic , minced
- 1/3 cup lite soy sauce , low sodium
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 stalks scallions , green parts only, cut into 2 inch pieces
Instructions
- Slice the flank steak against the grain (the grain is the length of the steak) the long way in ¼ inch thick pieces and add it to a ziploc bag with the cornstarch.
- Press the steak around in the bag making sure each piece is fully coated with cornstarch and leave it to sit.
- Add the canola oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium high heat.
- Add the steak, shaking off any excess corn starch, to the pan in a single layer and cook on each side for 1 minute.
- If you need to cook the steak in batches because your pan isn't big enough do that rather than crowding the pan, you want to get a good sear on the steak, and if you crowd the pan, your steak with steam instead of sear.
- When the steak is done cooking remove it from the pan.
- Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the soy sauce, water and dark brown sugar to the pan and let it come to a boil.
- Add the steak back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds.
- The cornstarch we used on the steak should thicken the sauce, if you find it isn’t thickening enough add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to dissolve the cornstarch and add it to the pan.
- Add the green onions, stir to combine everything, and cook for a final 20-30 seconds.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
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Tastes amazing and is so easy to make! Thank you, Sabrina.
I never comment, but this recipe was amazing. It is one of my favorites. I substituted coconut sugar and it was still rich and delicious. I also reduced the soy sauce a tiny bit and added extra garlic, but that’s just for my taste. Already planning to make it again.
Yay!! I’ m glad you loved it enough to leave a comment. I definitely take that as a compliment.
Delicious recipe,Easy to cook.A staple in my dinner recipe.Thanks for sharing it.
Do you think this would still turn out well if I substitute fresh ginger for dried/powder?
Yes but you’ll want to use way less powdered since it’s stronger than fresh. I would suggest about 1/8 teaspoon.
I made this for lunch today. I did reduce the brown sugar to 1/3 cup since we prefer our sauces less sweet. It turned out great! My picky toddlers even loved it. We will be making this again soon. Thanks for the recipe!
My family gobbled it up and wanted more! To make it more hearty I added the frozen stir fry veggies from Trader Joe’s, but not their sauce. Then put it over Jasmine rice. Instead of all soy sauce, I also used Coconut Amino Acids and a little less sugar.
Will definitely be making again.
Sugar amount is too much. Otherwise a good recipe.
Good cooking method, I really like this type of menu.Great posting, and thank you for sharing!
Just made this for lunch for husband and myself. I only used 1/3 of brown sugar and added a purple onion. We loved it.
Hi,
I want to know, can I make the sauce separate and add it to the beef once its done.
If so, how can i make the sauce?
Thanks
The sauce is made separately from the beef in this recipe. If you just want to make the sauce, follow steps 7 and 8. Good luck!
And maybe a little cornstarch from step 10 to thicken the sauce.
So delicious and easy! A staple in my dinner recipe rotation.
I plan to make this recipe.
Write up mentions Molasses, but it is not in the recipe.
Also would peanut oil be an acceptable substitute for the canola oil?
Thanks
I was just mentioning about those who choose to use light brown sugar vs dark brown sugar will be missing the addition of molasses for depth in the dish. No need to add molasses. Hope this clears things up.
I tried velveting flank steak prior to using this recipe making sure to rinse thoroughly. Was very tender. I served over fried rice (light on the low sodium soy sauce) My only complaint was the Mongolian sauce was way to salty. Any suggestions to make less salty. I did not add any additional salt.
I increased everything by about half including the flank steak and left the soy sauce the same. The only salty thing in this dish is soy sauce so I suppose you just have to manage that.
Thank you for you website. You make many a person & family happy & able to share love. Not to mention not wasting food on a badrecipe. I truly appreciate your willingness to help me be a cook & develop my self-esteem.
This recipe did that. My family’s loved it. It is wonderful. I added Brussels Sprouts because I had some that needed to be used.
Life is very hard sometimes but when you cook something & get compliments you feel there is hope. Sometimes the little things keep you going the most. Thanks again for sharing your stellar knowledge.
A plus recipe & yes, better than restaurant.
Thank you for your kind words, Jenny. So glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Hi Jenny! (from message dated 02/01/20)
I just wanted to let you know that I loved your message! So sweet and heartfelt, I was really moved by it.
I know that you’ll probably never see this, but I just felt like I wanted to say something…
I agree with you that cooking for your family & loved ones truly is an act of love! I believe that’s especially true when you’re a novice and you really put your heart into it, not knowing how it might turn out. I’m so happy that you have people in your life who DO compliment for the work you do in order to create the amazing meals you are so lovingly serving them! It’s such a wonderful feeling to be able to give of yourself in a way that you know is going to make your loved ones happy and grateful for you.
It sounds like you may have been going through a tough time when you wrote your message back in February, yes, it’s been awhile since I’ve read soooo many comments at one sitting! lol I just want you to know that if things are ever tough and you need support or someone to talk with that there are SOOOOO MANY OF US OUT HERE WILLING to talk to you, be there for you, whatever you need to get back to a happy place. Take care & stay safe!
Sabrina! I can’t leave you out!! lol I have been reading your recipes for the last week or so, spending at least a couple of hours every DAY!! ? There are SOOOO MANY that I want to try, I have no idea how I’ll ever choose! Haha I’ve been stuck on and keep coming back to this Mongolian Beef though, it just sounds & looks amazing and the reviews tell me everything need to know, that it’s easy and FABULOUS!! ? I make a LOT of Asian food, but never with beef, always chicken or pork, so I’m super excited to try this one out!! I will have to come back with a rating when I do actually make it. It’s going to be a couple weeks at least, but it’s going to be very SOON-ISH!
Thank you so very much for all of your hard work, the beautiful photos, videos, easy to understand directions and small ingredient lists!! So far I haven’t found anything that I didn’t have everything needed, unless it was a perishable/consumable type item we buy and use up weekly/bi-weekly, etc.,
I look forward to to continuing through your recipes and will look forward to anything new you come up with ?? Take care & of course, stay safe!
(I do hope my message to Jenny was ok, if not I fully understand, thank you either way)
You are so kind! Since you keep coming back to this recipe, make sure it’s next on your list. You won’t be disappointed.
The Easy Mongolian Beef recipe is one of the best I’ve ever made . I make it every other week. Everyone in my family loves it!
Easy recipe, better than what I expected
sugar can be reduced slightly if you prefer something less sweet, other wise half a cup of brown sugar is good too.
Recommended recipe!
Another spectacular dish from Sabrina. We are working our eay through her recipes 🙂
I added a thinly slice medium onion and sliced mushrooms to the garlic and ginger. I also used a chuck steak. I messed up on the searing. I tried cooking it all at once and it more or less steamed it instead of seared, which made it kinda tough. Otherwise very easy and very tasty.
I made this tonight and everything was spot on! The flavor was a duplicate of Pf Chang’s (which is a family favorite) and the meat had a nice crisp.
10 out of 10 recipe – thank you
LOVE this recipe! SOO easy and SOOOO good! We served it with cauliflower rice! This will be a frequent go to!! I will cut back on the oil, I feel 1/4 cup is too much, I drained some out.
I quadrupled this recipe and was still done with everything in about 30 minutes. I doubled the recipe, cooked it, then doubled a second batch and cooked again. The meat was still slightly pink after searing one minute on each side, but I figured it would cook more once it was in the sauce. It did, and it was PERFECT! Not chewy, full of flavor, and every bite was gone! I came across it when I needed something quick to cook for 18 people. It did not fail! I made fried rice and had salad with it. Perfect meal.
Fantastic!
My husband loved it! Very easy receipe.
I usually shy away from Asian cooking because I can never seem to get it right. But this was awesome! Whole family loved it (and that’s unusual)! I did cut the dark brown sugar in half after reading the reviews, and it definitely would have been too sweet for my taste with the full amount. Also added 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic and ginger. Next time I will double the pepper because there wasn’t any heat at all. But it was still a major hit and super tasty. We used Flat Iron Steak and cooked the meat in two batches, taking seriously your advice about searing not steaming. Super hot pan and oil was key here although it did take a bit longer than a minute per side to achieve browned, crunchy edges. Next time we’ll double the recipe. There wasn’t a morsel left and my husband was sad he wouldn’t have leftovers for lunch.
I’m so glad you decided to give it a try, Karyn.
This was absolutely delicious and incredibly easy!! I did use light brown sugar because that’s what I already had and I don’t regret it a bit! I used the flank steak and it was so tender! I can’t wait to make this again!
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review!
This is one of my and my boyfriend’s favorite recipes! So yummy and quick to make. I like the balance of sweet and salty, and will sometimes add a bit of red pepper for a kick of heat!
Only problem I have is the oil splattering when I add the beef. I’m thinking it might be a moisture or a temperature issue. I’d love some advice to avoid this if someone can provide any!
It sounds like moisture may be the issue, make sure your meat is patted fairly dry before adding to the cornstarch.
Excellent! I did not have flank steak, so I used grass-fed round steak, and it was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised that the brown sugar (yes, I used dark) did not overpower the dish. I was immensely surprised that I enjoyed the dish as much as I did because I am a bit of a vegetable freak. It is recipes like this that are helping to convert my husband into a Chinese food fan.
Aw! So glad it turned out so well and it’s helping bring your husband to the good food team haha!
I am fairly new to your site and I am so enjoying making your wonderful recipes. Just made the Easy Mongolian beef over your steamed Chinese rice with a side dish of steamed broccoli. My husband has commented three times on how great this meal tastes and he asked for seconds. The meat is as flavorful and tender as we have ever had at any Asian restaurant. Mongolian beef is his favorite and now I can make it for him. I did not change anything. I am surprised at comments of “too sweet” and “cut back on dark brown sugar”. It was seasoned to perfection. I mixed the sugar in with the low sodium soy sauce and water and everything came together so easily. Already looking over your cooking site for my next meal to prepare.
I’m so glad you found the site and are enjoying the recipes, Jennie! Thanks for the 5 stars.
That’s too good and simple recipe….love to try
Let me know how you like it!
Easy and delicious…Will definitely make this again!!
Happy to hear that! Thanks for the review!
Really liked how simple this recipe was! I added broccoli because I love Mongolian beef and broccoli, and I doubled the sauce to account for the extra. I saw someone recommend halving the sugar but I would take it farther and suggest quartering it. Even with half the amount, it was very sweet! I also added a good amount of spice because there isn’t any spice to this recipe on its own. Served with rice and had a delicious meal!
So glad you enjoyed and were able to make it to your taste!
Sounds great
Really good concept but far too sweet for my liking. Next time I would cut the sugar in half, if not less than that. It even seemed like a lot of sugar to soy sauce ratio but I figured I’d give it a try.
Delicious and easy! We served it over Jasmine rice.
That’s how we like to do it most of the time too!
I added garlic sprigs red onion and coarse grated carrot……Very successful .. great recipe.
Started with the sweet and sour chicken recipe from Yiur site. It turn out great then I decide to make the Mongolian beef. The dish is amazing ! I’ll keep discovering your recipes !
So glad you are liking them!
Not sure if you saw it yet (we recently made some site changes) but we now have an Asian recipes landing page with suggestions of popular and well loved picks!
https://dinnerthendessert.com/category/asian-food/
Outstanding! Truth is, this recipe deserves 10 stars! Wasn’t sure whether to use light or dark brown sugar as the recipe doesn’t specify, so I did about 25% light, 75% dark. I also only had regular soy sauce (not low sodium), so I was a little bit worried it would be too sweet or too salty. Not at all! I made the soy/water/brown sugar part earlier in the day so the flavors could blend and it would be easier to add when I was cooking. I used a nice ribeye, sliced thin (hint, slice the steak semi-frozen and it’s much easier to slice!) and added over white rice (will try fried rice next time) and it was a HUGE HIT. The bf asked me to save the little bit that was left and add in some left over pork tenderloin to make him a sandwich for today. Plenty of sauce left over. This really was excellent and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!!!!!
Wow! Thank you so much, this review made my day. 🙂 🙂 So glad you liked it! Thanks for the review and the rating!
Outstanding! I wanted to give this 5 stars but the page wouldn’t let me click on them. Truth is, this recipe deserves 10! Wasn’t sure whether to use light or dark brown sugar as the recipe doesn’t specify, so I did about 25% light, 75% dark. I also only had regular soy sauce (not low sodium), so I was a little bit worried it would be too sweet or too salty. Not at all! I made the soy/water/brown sugar part earlier in the day so the flavors could blend and it would be easier to add when I was cooking. I used a nice ribeye, sliced thin (hint, slice the steak semi-frozen and it’s much easier to slice!) and added over white rice (will try fried rice next time) and it was a HUGE HIT. The bf asked me to save the little bit that was left and add in some left over pork tenderloin to make him a sandwich for today. Plenty of sauce left over. This really was excellent and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!!!!!
Just made this for my husband & I for tea- it was bloody lovely! Will definitely make it again- may put some peppers & mushrooms in next time for a change. Thanks for a great recipe! Jan
So glad you enjoyed! Love to hear if you try it again with the veggies and how it turns out! Thanks!
Made this tonight, came out very good! More sweet than expected, however still very good. Next time I make it I will add some heat to it.
Can you sub vegetable oil for canola oil?
Yes 🙂
My sauce comes out chunky rather than smooth. How do I correct that?
Sounds like there was a cornstarch issue. Two things I would do next time: 1. pat the meat dry, it will reduce the moisture and keep the cornstarch from falling off 2. shake off any excess cornstarch before frying. you just want a thin coating.
Let me know if you try again and these tips work!
Loved the recipe! I did half the sugar and added hot pepper flakes. My husband and I ate it all tonight. Also added way more ginger and garlic but thats because we are weird. My husband couldn’t stop raving though he adored the recipe. Our wok is small so I did 7-9 slices of beef and we used serloin because the store was out of flank but it all turned out great. Always fun to get restaurant food at half the price and less calories.
Glad you were able to adjust to your taste – I love adapting a recipe so everyone can enjoy! Thanks for the review.
This looks so delicious. Just pinned!
I surprised my wife with the Mongolian Beef for dinner last week ,OMG,mouth watering, well it was absolutely to die for. This has escalated to our now #1 FAVE
Step Daughter is coming over tonight and she is going to just love it.
Making left overs is a must.
Thanks for the Great Recipe.
Easy to follow, quick to make and delicious! Made dinner for 4 less than $5! Perfect!
Made this today omg it was divine served it to a friend he said he was on another plated when he was eating it said it was outstanding. thank you.
This recipe is WOKE, you hear me? WOKKEEE!!
I tweaked the recipe a bit so the four stars is because I felt I had to tweak it. I was worried about the beef lacking flavor so I seasoned it with salt, garlic powder, pepper and a tiny bit of red pepper flakes before coating it with corn starch. The beef came out amazing, I followed everything else in the recipe exactly except I added about half as much sugar. My only complaint is wishing I added less Ginger because I’m not such a fan of the taste. My family loved it and I’ll be making it again
Excellent and easy to make. I “velveteen” my beef in corn starch and egg whites for an hour before cooking. Precooked my beef in boiling water for a couple if minutes then browned in batches. Taste and aroma in heavenly.
Just so so. Wanted more heat and spice. Good basics.
Delicious! I made it pretty much exactly according to the recipe but I only had powdered ginger and mistakenly only added 1/3 cup dark brown sugar. I have to agree with some that even with only that amount of sugar, it was still a bit too sweet. Think I will do 1/4 cup next time. I also only had regular soy sauce. Sabrina is right. Too salty. Next time I will make sure I buy real ginger and low sodium soy. Thise were my fault though. I only took a star away because I felt it was too sweet. By the way, I’m not a big red meat eater, so I used a rib eye for my bf and sliced chicken for myself. He loved his steak and we both loved the chicken! This recipe is a keeper, thank you!
Good dish and great for guests. Would add some chili flakes to put some spice.